Generally, a software license defines a product usable by the license, a device specification condition relating to a specification of a management target device, such as a personal computer and a server device, in which the license can be assigned, and the like. Thus, even when a license is acquired for software that operates in a specific management target device, the license sometimes cannot be assigned to the management target device depending on a device specification condition or the like defined for the license.
A software license management device is disclosed that outputs a use state relating to overs and shorts of the number of software licenses or additional purchase information of the number of the software licenses. This software license management device automatically collects inventory information including software actually installed in computers in an organization. The software license management device calculates overs and shorts of the number of software licenses from a difference between the number of software licenses that the organization possesses and the number of software licenses that are actually used (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2001-222424).
Further, a software license management system is disclosed, that sorts software licenses into groups according to versions thereof and calculates the number of overs and shorts of the software licenses in each group. This software license management system manages software licenses including a downgrade right (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-92317).
Further, a license management device is disclosed, that manages software licenses for a server computer in which a virtual machine is established. This license management device determines whether software is used more than the number of obtained licenses when a licensing unit of the software is based on physical information of a server computer (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2012-208752).